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Latest Car News

2014 Kia Soul Recalled for Potential Loss of Steering:

Kia is calling back 51,6Latest Car News update:41 of its Soul compact hatchbacks from the 2014 model year because they could experience a loss of steering ability.

According to NHTSA, a plug that secures the pinion gear to the steering assembly could come loose because a thread-locking adhesive was improperly applied during assembly. If that happens, the vehicle can lose its steering.

In documents filed with NHTSA, the South Korean automaker said it will replace the plugs through its dealer network at no charge to consumers. The company also promised to reimburse owners for repair expenses they already paid related to the defect.

The recall campaign is scheduled to start this month and owners can expect to be contacted by Kia asking them to bring their vehicle in for service.

FBI Worries Self-Driving Vehicles Pose New Risks:

In an unclassified but restricted report obtained by The Guardian, the FBI believes that autonomous vehicles “will have a high impact on transforming what both law enforcement and its adversaries can operationally do with a car.” Situations such as suspects being able to shoot at pursuers while the getaway vehicle drives itself or even self-driving bombs have become a concern with the FBI. In addition, there’s a fear that criminals will be able to override safety features in order to ignore traffic lights and speed limits.

In an argument of whether the pros outweigh the cons, the FBI also notes that autonomous vehicles could help first responders arrive to a scene of an accident quicker while surveillance would be more effective and easier, especially in the case of tailing suspects.

According to the report, the FBI believes Congress will approve the use of autonomous vehicles by the American public within the next five to seven years. It’ll be up to the technology experts such as Google to ensure they’re as safe as possible.

GM Confirms Eight-Speed Auto for Pickups, SUVs:

There is a catch though. The eight speed will only be paired with the 6.2-liter V8 that makes 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, while both the 5.3-liter V8 along with the 4.3-liter V6 solider on with a six-speed automatic.

GM says that the new eight speed is roughly the same size and weight as the outgoing six speed, and allows a wider gear spread which means that more torque is available from the first gear. This also means that the rear-end axle ratio can be numerically lower, allowing RPMs to stay low at highway speeds.

The Silverado and Sierra were recently tested using SAE J2807 standards, and the trucks both retain their maximum tow rating of 12,000 pounds.

The new eight-speed should also help fuel economy, numbers on which will be released sometime in late 2014.

Mitsubishi Joins Takata Airbag Recall in US:

Mitsubishi has announced a recall for an undisclosed amount of 2004 through 2005 Lancer sedans over malfunctioning airbags supplied by Takata.

Mitsubishi is the ninth automaker to recall cars that use Takata airbags in the United States. The issue stems from an inflator which can rupture, causing metal fragments to shoot at the passengers. Over the last five years, more than 12 million vehicles with faulty Takata have been recalled.

“Due to NHTSA’s belief that humidity is a contributing factor to the inflator condition at issue, the (recall) will be limited to affected vehicles that are registered in, or were originally sold in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Mitsubishi wrote in a letter to NHTSA.

Mitsubishi says that it knows of no injuries or crashes caused by the Takata airbags, and the company says it hasn’t found a safety defect in its own testing but will issue the recall anyways as a “good faith” gesture towards NHTSA.

Chrysler Speeds Up Jeep Recall Repairs:

Chrysler says that it can have a recall to fix around 1.56 million Jeeps finished by March, much sooner than the timeline of a few years the company estimated as first. 

The American automaker said as much in a statement on Wednesday, about two weeks after NHTSA pressed the company for an explanation on why it would take so long, until 2018, to have all of the vehicles fixed. The recall involves installing trailer hitches to protect the fuel tank on 2002 through 2007 Jeep Libertys and 1993 through 1998 Grand Cherokees.

The American brand has accelerated the process in a number of ways. First, the company says many of the older models that were recalled are no longer on the road, and many of the Jeeps are already fit with hitches. Chrysler also urged its supplier to ramp up production on hitches, and even paid for new robots to help the process.

Chrysler says that roughly 87.5 percent of the Jeep Liberty SUVs and half of the Grand Cherokee SUVs invloved in the recall actually need to be fixed.

Originally, Chrysler resisted the entire recall, saying that there was no defect in its vehicles according to its own data. Eventually, it gave in to NHTSA’s request....